October 10, 2012

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Brothers and sisters:After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas,taking Titus along also.I went up in accord with a revelation,and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles--but privately to those of repute--so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain.On the contrary,when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised,just as Peter to the circumcised,for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcisedworked also in me for the Gentiles,and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me,James and Cephas and John,who were reputed to be pillars,gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership,that we should go to the Gentilesand they to the circumcised.Only, we were to be mindful of the poor,which is the very thing I was eager to do.

And when Cephas came to Antioch,I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.For, until some people came from James,he used to eat with the Gentiles;but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself,because he was afraid of the circumcised.And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,with the result that even Barnabaswas carried away by their hypocrisy.But when I saw that they were not on the right roadin line with the truth of the Gospel,I said to Cephas in front of all,"If you, though a Jew,are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew,how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.Praise the LORD, all you nations,glorify him, all you peoples!R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.For steadfast is his kindness toward us,and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

Psalm 89 Gods favors to the house of DavidAccording to his promise, the Lord has raised up Jesus, a Savior, from the family of David (Acts 13:22, 23).

I

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established in the heavens.

With my chosen one, I have made a covenant; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your dynasty for ever and set up your throne through all ages.

The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord; the assembly of your holy ones proclaims your truth. For who in the skies can compare with the Lord or who is like the Lord among the sons of God?

A God to be feared in the council of the holy ones, great and dreadful to all around him. O Lord God of hosts, who is your equal? You are mighty, O Lord, and truth is your garment.

It is you who rule the sea in its pride; it is you who still the surging of its waves. You crushed the monster Rahab and killed it, scattering your foes with your mighty arm.

The heavens are yours, the world is yours. It is you who founded the earth and all it holds; it is you who created the North and the South. Tabor and Hermon shout with joy at your name.

Yours is a mighty arm, O Lord; your hand is strong, your right hand ready. Justice and right are the pillars of your throne, love and truth walk in your presence.

Happy the people who acclaim such a king, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who find their joy every day in your name, who make your justice the source of their bliss.

For you, O Lord, are the glory of their strength; by your favor it is that our might is exalted: for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord; our king in the keeping of the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Wherever you are, Lord, there is mercy, there is truth.

Ant. 2 When the Son of God came into this world, he was born of Davids line.

II

Of old you spoke in a vision. To your friends the prophets you said: I have set the crown on a warrior, I have exalted one chosen from the people.

I have found David my servant and with my holy oil anointed him. My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong.

The enemy shall never outwit him nor the evil man oppress him. I will beat down his foes before him and smite those who hate him.

My truth and my love shall be with him; by my name his might shall be exalted. I will stretch out his hand to the Sea and his right hand as far as the River.

He will say to me: You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me. And I will make him my first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.

I will keep my love for him always; for him my covenant shall last. I will establish his dynasty for ever, make his throne endure as the heavens.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. When the Son of God came into this world, he was born of Davids line.

Ant. 3 Once for all I swore to my servant David: his dynasty shall never fail.

III

If his sons forsake my law and refuse to walk as I decree and if ever they violate my statutes, refusing to keep my commands;

then I will punish their offenses with the rod, then I will scourge them on account of their guilt. But I will never take back my love: my truth will never fail.

I will never violate my covenant nor go back on the word I have spoken. Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness. I will never lie to David.

His dynasty shall last for ever. In my sight his throne is like the sun; like the moon, it shall endure for ever, a faithful witness in the skies.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

God, you anointed your servant Jesus with holy oil and raised him higher than all kings on earth. In this you fulfilled the promise made to Davids descendants and established a lasting covenant through your first-born Son. Do not forget your holy covenant, so that we who are signed with the blood of your Son through the new sacraments of faith may sing of your mercies for ever.

Ant. Once for all I swore to my servant David: his dynasty shall never fail.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)  a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

When we listen to your word, our minds are filled with light. It is the lowly heart that understands.

READINGS

First reading From the first letter of the apostle Paul to Timothy 4:15:2 Concerning teachers of error; concerning respect for older people

The Spirit distinctly says that in later times some will turn away from the faith and will heed deceitful spirits and things taught by demons through plausible liarsmen with seared consciences who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by believers who know the truth. Everything God created is good; nothing is to be rejected when it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by Gods word and by prayer.

If you put these instructions before the brotherhood you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, reared in the words of faith and the sound doctrine you have faithfully followed. Have nothing to do with profane myths or old wives tales. Train yourself for the life of piety, for while physical training is to some extent valuable, the discipline of religion is incalculably more so, with its promise of life here and hereafter. You can depend on this as worthy of complete acceptance.

This explains why we work and struggle as we do; our hopes are fixed on the living God who is the savior of all men, but especially of those who believe.

Such are the things you must urge and teach. Let no one look down on you because of your youth, but be a continuing example of love, faith, and purity to believers. Until I arrive, devote yourself to the reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching. Do not neglect the gift you received when, as a result of prophecy, the presbyters laid their hands on you. Attend to your duties; let them absorb you, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch yourself and watch your teaching. Persevere at both tasks. By doing so you will bring to salvation yourself and all who hear you.

Never censure an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. You should treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

RESPONSORY 1 Timothy 4:8, 10; 2 Corinthians 4:9

The value of spirituality is immeasurable, for it holds promise for our present life and the life hereafter. We toil and struggle for this reason: we have put our trust in the living God.

We have been persecuted but never abandoned, struck down but never destroyed. We have put our trust in the living God.

Second reading From the beginning of a letter to the Trallians by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyrRenew yourselves in the faith that is the body of Christ and in the love that is his blood

Make yourselves gentle, and be born again in the faith which is the body of the Lord and in the love which is the blood of Jesus Christ. No one must bear a grudge against his neighbor. Never give the pagans the slightest pretext, so that the great majority who serve God will not be mocked because of the folly of a few. Woe to him on account of whose folly my name is blasphemed.

So turn a deaf ear to the talk of anyone whose language has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Descended from David, he was truly born of Mary, he really ate and drank. He was really persecuted under Pontius Pilate, and truly died by crucifixion, while heavenly and earthly beings and those under the earth looked on. He truly rose from the dead, being raised by his Father. Those who believe in him will be raised like him by the Father. We shall rise again in Christ without whom we do not have true life.

Avoid, then, those poisonous growths that bear deadly fruit; the mere taste of them is sudden death. Such growths are not of the Fathers planting; if they were such they would be recognized as branches of the cross, their fruit would be imperishable. The cross of Christs passion is his invitation to you who are the members of his body. The head cannot come to life without the members, since God, the very ground of unity, has foretold such a union.

I send you greetings from Smyrna and from all Gods churches which are here with me. They have been a comfort to me in every way, both physically and spiritually. The chains which I wear for the sake of Jesus Christ, praying all the time that I may come to God, are my plea. Continue to live together in that harmony of yours and persevere in prayer together. It is fitting that everyone, and especially the presbyters, should comfort the bishop and thereby honor the Father and Jesus Christ, and his apostles. I beg you, if you love me, listen to me, so that this letter of mine may not witness against you. And pray for me, too, lest I be found unfit, for in Gods mercy I need your love to make me worthy of the destiny that is mine.

The communities of Smyrna and Ephesus send greetings. In all your prayers remember the church in Syria. I am unworthy to claim membership in it, being the least of them all. And now, farewell in Jesus Christ. Be submissive to your bishop, as you would to Gods command, and also to the clergy. As individuals, love one another with undivided affection. My life is being sacrificed for you, not only at this moment, but also when I shall come before God. Though I am still in danger, God the Father through Jesus Christ, is my pledge that my prayer and yours will be heard. My desire is that, through him, you may be found without fault.

RESPONSORY 2 Thessalonians 2:14-15; Sirach 15:13

Through the Gospel God has called you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you have been taught.

The Lord hates all that is vile, and those who fear him show no love for it either. Therefore, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you have been taught.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord. And give him thanks.

21
posted on 10/10/2012 2:34:24 AM PDT
by markomalley
(Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)

Psalm 86 The prayer of the poor man in distressBlessed be God who comforts us in all our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4).

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am faithful; save the servant who trusts in you.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Give joy to your servant, O Lord, for to you I lift up my soul.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of love to all who call. Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my voice.

In the day of distress I will call and surely you will reply. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; nor work to compare with yours.

All the nations shall come to adore you and glorify your name, O Lord: for you are great and do marvelous deeds, you who alone are God.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth. Guide my heart to fear your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart and glorify your name for ever; for your love to me has been great: you have saved me from the depths of the grave.

The proud have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; to you they pay no heed.

But you, God of mercy and compassion, slow to anger, O Lord, abounding in love and truth, turn and take pity on me.

O give your strength to your servant and save your handmaids son. Show me the sign of your favor that my foes may see to their shame that you console me and give me your help.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

God of mercy and goodness, when Christ called out to you in torment, you heard him and gave him victory over death because of his love for you. We already know the affection you have for us; fill us with a great love of your name, and we will proclaim you more boldly before men and happily lead them to celebrate your glory.

Ant. Give joy to your servant, Lord; to you I lift up my heart.

Ant.2 Blessed is the upright man, who speaks the truth.

Canticle  Isaiah 33:13-16 Gods flawless judgmentWhat God has promised is for you, for your children, and for those still far away (Acts 2:39).

Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my might.

On Zion sinners are in dread, trembling grips the impious; Who of us can live with the consuming fire? Who of us can live with the everlasting flames?

He who practices virtue and speaks honestly, who spurns what is gained by oppression, brushing his hands free of contact with a bribe,

stopping his ears lest he hear of bloodshed, closing his eyes lest he look on evil. He shall dwell on the heights, his stronghold shall be the rocky fastness, his food and drink in steady supply.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Blessed is the upright man, who speaks the truth.

Ant. 3 Let us celebrate with joy in the presence of our Lord and King.

Psalm 98 The Lord triumphs in his judgmentThis psalm tells of the Lords first coming and that people of all nations will believe in him (Saint Athanasius).

Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.

The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp with the sound of music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King, the Lord.

Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples. Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy

Rejoice at the presence of the Lord: for he comes, he comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus, you have revealed your justice to all nations. We stood condemned and you came to be judged in our place. Send your saving power on us and when you come in glory bring your mercy to those for whom you were condemned.

Ant. Let us celebrate with joy in the presence of our Lord and King.

READING Job 1:21; 2:10b

Naked I came forth from my mothers womb, and naked I shall go back again. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)  a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Incline my heart according to your will, O God.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Show us your mercy, Lord; remember your holy covenant.

Luke 1:68  79The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Show us your mercy, Lord; remember your holy covenant.

INTERCESSIONS

Christ nourishes and supports the Church for which he gave himself up to death. Let us ask him: Remember your Church, Lord.

You are the Good Shepherd who has given life and light today, make us grateful for these gifts. Remember your Church, Lord.

Look with mercy on the flock you have gathered together in your name, let no one whom the Father has given you perish. Remember your Church, Lord.

Lead your Church in the way of your commandments, may your Holy Spirit keep her faithful. Remember your Church, Lord.

Nourish the Church at the banquet of your Word and Bread, strengthened by this food may she follow you in joy. Remember your Church, Lord.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

Lord, as daylight fills the sky, fill us with your holy light. May our lives mirror our love for you whose wisdom has brought us into being, and whose care guides us on our way. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

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posted on 10/10/2012 2:34:35 AM PDT
by markomalley
(Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)

O God, make haste to my rescue, Lord, come to my aid! Let there be shame and confusion on those who seek my life.

O let them turn back in confusion, who delight in my harm, let them retreat, covered with shame, who jeer at my lot.

Let there be rejoicing and gladness for all who seek you. Let them say for ever: God is great, who love your saving help.

As for me, wretched and poor, come to me, O God. You are my rescuer, my help, O Lord, do not delay.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

God, our help and deliverer, do not abandon us among the many temptations of life but deliver us from evil and turn our tears and struggles into joy.

Ant. Help me, O God, for I am poor and needy.

Ant. 3 God, who is justice and truth, does not judge by appearances.

Psalm 75 The Lord, the ruler over all He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly (Luke 1:52).

We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks and call upon your name. We recount your wonderful deeds.

When I reach the appointed time, then I will judge with justice. Though the earth and all who dwell in it may rock, it is I who uphold its pillars.

To the boastful I say: Do not boast, to the wicked: Do not flaunt your strength, do not flaunt your strength on high. Do not speak with insolent pride.

For neither from the east nor from the west, nor from desert or mountains comes judgment, but God himself is the judge. One he humbles, another he exalts.

The Lord holds a cup in his hand, full of wine, foaming and spiced. He pours it; they drink it to the dregs: all the wicked on the earth must drain it.

As for me, I will rejoice for ever and sing psalms to Jacobs God. He shall break the power of the wicked, while the strength of the just shall be exalted.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Father, by the passion of your Son you proclaimed the final judgment of the world; when you raised Christ upon the cross, you deposed the prince of darkness. Strike down the pride that rules our hearts and raise us to the glory of the resurrection.

Ant. God, who is justice and truth, does not judge by appearances.

READING 1 Corinthians 13:8-9, 13

Love never fails. Prophecies will cease, tongues will be silent, knowledge will pass away. Our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect. There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)  a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Lord, show us your love and mercy. For we put our trust in you.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God of mercy, this midday moment of rest is your welcome gift. Bless the work we have begun, make good its defects and let us finish it in a way that pleases you. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord. And give him thanks.

23
posted on 10/10/2012 2:34:42 AM PDT
by markomalley
(Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)

If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.

In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat: when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, a blessing, the fruit of the womb. Indeed the sons of youth are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

O the happiness of the man who has filled his quiver with these arrows! He will have no cause for shame when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

You command the seed to rise, Lord God, though the farmer is unaware. Grant that those who labor for you may trust not in their own work but in your help. Remembering that the land is brought to flower not with human tears but with those of your Son, may the Church rely only upon your gifts.

Ant. May the Lord build our house and guard our city.

Ant. 3 He is the first-born of all creation; in every way the primacy is his.

Canticle  Colossians 1:12-20Christ the first-born of all creation and the first-born from the dead

Let us give thanks to the Father for having made you worthy to share the lot of the saints in light.

He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Through him we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creatures. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, things visible and invisible.

All were created through him; all were created for him. He is before all else that is. In him everything continues in being.

It is he who is head of the body, the church! he who is the beginning, the first-born of the dead, so that primacy may be his in everything.

It pleased God to make absolute fulness reside in him and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person, both on earth and in the heavens, making peace through the blood of his cross.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. He is the first-born of all creation; in every way the primacy is his.

READING Ephesians 3:20-21

To God whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagineto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, world without end. Amen. The audio for this hour uses a longer reading taken from the single volume Christian Prayer book, while this abbreviated text is from the 4 volume Liturgy of the Hours.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)  a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

Claim me once more as your own, Lord, and have mercy on me. Claim me once more as your own, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Do not abandon me with the wicked; have mercy on me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Claim me once more as your own, Lord, and have mercy on me.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

Luke 1:46-55The soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us humbly pray to God who sent his Son as the Savior and exemplar of his people: May your people praise you, Lord.

Let us give thanks to God who chose us as the firstfruits of salvation, and who called us to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. May your people praise you, Lord.

May those who confess your holy name be united in your truth, and fervent in your love. May your people praise you, Lord.

Creator of all things, your Son desired to work among men with his own hands, be mindful of all who earn their living by the sweat of their brow. May your people praise you, Lord.

Be mindful of those who devote themselves to the service of their brothers, do not let them be deterred from their goals by discouraging results or lack of support. May your people praise you, Lord.

Be merciful to the faithful departed, keep them from the power of the Evil One. May your people praise you, Lord.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

Merciful Lord, let the evening prayer of your Church come before you. May we do your work faithfully; free us from sin and make us secure in your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

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posted on 10/10/2012 2:34:49 AM PDT
by markomalley
(Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)

General instruction: Please pray with us actively, especially by joining with us in saying antiphons and responses, most of which are indicated in this highlight.

Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer.

Night Prayer for Wednesday

God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Examination of conscience:

We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for Gods mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.

I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, And, striking your breast, say: through my own fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; Then continue: therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. With a priest present, this absolution will be given: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. The people reply:Amen

HYMN

Maker of this heart of mine You know me very well You understand my deepest part More than I know myself So when I face the darkness When I need to find my way Ill trust in You Shepherd of my heart

Keeper of this heart of mine Your patience has no end Youve loved me back into Your arms Time and time again So if I start to wander Like a lamb thats gone astray Ill trust in You Shepherd of my heart

Youre the beacon of my nights Youre the sunlight of my days I can rest within Your arms I can know Your loving ways So let the cold winds blow Let the storms rage all around Ill trust in You Shepherd of my heart

Giver of this life in me Youre what Im living for For all my deepest gratitude You love me even more So as I walk through valleys Listening for the Masters call Ill trust in you Shepherd of my heart

Youre the beacon of my nights Youre the sunlight of my days I can rest within Your arms I can know Your loving ways So as I walk through valleys Listening for my Masters call Ill trust in You Shepherd of my heart

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Gospel Canticle

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Luke 2:29-32Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Concluding Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you have given your followers an example of gentleness and humility, a task that is easy, a burden that is light. Accept the prayers and work of this day, and give us the rest that will strengthen us to render more faithful service to you who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

25
posted on 10/10/2012 2:34:58 AM PDT
by markomalley
(Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)

Eleven Martyrs of Almeria, Spain

The Spanish civil war began in 1936. It was a struggle between those who believed in God and those who did not believe in God.

So the non-believers attacked the Catholic Church. In three years, 12 bishops; 4,184 priests; 2,365 monks and 300 nuns were killed for the faith.

Today we celebrate eleven of those martyrs:

2 bishops who were from Almeria and Gaudix in Spain

1 priest Father Pedro Castroverde who was a well-known scholar and founder of the Teresian Association

7 Brothers who were teachers at St. Joseph College in Almeria a Christian School, and

1 young lay woman Victoria Diez Molina who joined the Teresians because she had found a spiritual treasure in the way this group prayed and lived their Christian responsibilities. Victoria was a teacher in a country school and was very active in her parish.

All eleven martyrs chose to die for Jesus rather than give up their Catholic faith.

Brother Aurelio Maria, soon to be killed, was the director of St. Joseph College. He said: "What happiness for us if we could shed our blood for the lofty ideal of Christian education. Let us double our fervor so to become worthy of such an honor."

Bishop Medina of Gaudix said: "We have done nothing to deserve death. But I forgive you so that the Lord will also forgive us. May our blood be the last shed in Almeria."

Bishop Ventaja of Almeria had many chances to escape from the country. But he chose to remain with his suffering people, his suffering Church.

Father Castroverde, the Teresian founder, wrote this beautiful prayer in his diary before he was killed on July 28, 1936:

"Lord, may I think what you want me to think. May I desire what you want me to desire. May I speak as you want me to speak. May I work as you want me to work."

Victoria Molina was put in prison on August 11, 1936. She and seventeen others were taken to an abandoned mine-shaft to die. Victoria comforted the others and said: "Come on, our reward is waiting for us." Her last words were: "Long live Christ the King."

We can ask these eleven heroes of God to give us their strength and courage which was given to them by God.

1. And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2. And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3. Give us day by day our daily bread. 4. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

BEDE; After the account of the sisters, who signified the two lives of the Church, our Lord is not without reason related to have both Himself prayed, and taught His disciples to pray, seeing that the prayer which He taught contains in itself the mystery of each life, and the perfection of the lives themselves is to be obtained not by our own strength, but by prayer. Hence it is said, And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place.

CYRIL; Now whereas He possesses every good in abundance, why does He pray, since He is full, and has altogether need of nothing? To this we answer, that it befits Him, according to the manner of His dispensation in the flesh, to follow human observances at the time convenient for them. For if He eats and drinks, He rightly was used to pray, that He might teach us not to be lukewarm in this duty, but to be the more diligent and earnest in our prayers.

TIT. BOST. The disciples having seen a new way of life, desire a new form of prayer, since there were several prayers to be found in the Old Testament. Hence it follows, When he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, in order that we might not sin against God in asking for one thing instead of another, or by approaching God in prayer in a manner that we ought not.

ORIGEN; And that he might point out the kind of teaching, the disciple proceeds, as John also taught his disciples. Of whom in truth you have told us, that among them that are born of women there had arisen none greater than he. And because you have commanded us to seek things that are great and eternal, whence shall we arrive at the knowledge of these but from You, our God and Savior?

GREG. NYSS.. He unfolds the teaching of prayer to His disciples, who wisely desire the knowledge of prayer, directing them how they ought to beseech God to hear them.

BASIL; There are two kinds of prayer, one composed of praise with humiliation, the other of petitions, and more subdued. Whenever then you pray, do not first break forth into petition; but if you condemn your inclination, supplicate God as if of necessity forced thereto. And when you begin to pray, forget all visible and invisible creatures, but commence with the praise of Him who created all things. Hence it is added, And he says to them, When you pray, say, Our Father.

PSEUDO-AUG. The first word, how gracious is it? You durst not raise your face to heaven, and suddenly you receive the grace of Christ. From an evil servant you are made a good son. Boast not then of your working, but of the grace of Christ; for therein is no arrogance, but faith. To proclaim what you have received is not pride, but devotion. Therefore raise your eyes to your Father, who begot you by Baptism, redeemed you by His Son. Say Father as a son, but claim no especial favor to t yourself. Of Christ alone is He the especial Father, of us the common Father. For Christ alone He begot, but us he created. And therefore according to Matthew when it is said, Our Father, it is added, which art in heaven, that is, in those heavens of which it was said, The heavens declare the glory of God. Heaven is where sin has ceased, and where there is no sting of death.

THEOPHYL. But He says not, which art in heaven, as though He were confined to that place, but to raise the hearer up to heaven, and draw him away from earthly things.

GREG. NYSS.. See how great a preparation you need, to be able to say boldly to God, O Father, for if you have your eyes fixed on worldly things, or court the praise of men, or are a slave to your passions, and utter this prayer, I seem to hear God saying, 'Whereas you that are of a corrupt life call the Author of the incorruptible your Father, you pollute with your defiled lips an incorruptible name. For He who commanded you to call Him Father, gave you not leave to utter lies. But the highest of e all good things is to glorify God's name in our lives. Hence He adds, Hallowed be thy name. For who is there so debased, as when He sees the pure life of those who believe, does not glorify the name invoked in such a life. He then who says in his prayer, Be thy name, which I call upon, hallowed in me, prays this, "May I through Your concurring aid be made just, abstaining from all evil."

CHRYS. For as when a man gazes upon the beauty of the heavens, he says, Glory be you, O God; so likewise when He beholds a man's virtuous actions, seeing that the virtue of man glorifies God much more than the heavens.

PSEUDO-AUG. Or it is said, Hallowed be thy name; that is, let Your holiness be known to all the world, and let it worthily praise You. For praise becomes the upright, and therefore He bids them pray for the cleansing of the whole world.

CYRIL; Since among those to whom the faith has not yet come, the name of God is still despised. But when the rays of truth shall have shined upon them, they will confess the Holy of Holies.

TIT. BOST. And because in the name of Jesus is the glory of God the Father, the name of the Father will be hallowed whenever Christ shall be known.

ORIGEN; Or, because the name of God is given by idolaters, and those who are in error, to idols and creatures, it has not as yet been so made holy, as to be separated from those things from which it ought to be. He teaches us therefore to pray that the name of God may be appropriated to the only true God; to whom alone belongs what follow, Thy kingdom come, to the end that may be put down all the rule, authority, and power, and kingdom of the world, together with sin which reigns in our mortal bodies.

GREG. NYSS.. We beseech also to be delivered by the Lord from corruption, to be taken out of death. Or, according to some, Thy kingdom come, that is, May Your Holy Spirit come upon us to purify us.

PSEUDO-AUG. For then comes the kingdom of God, when we have obtained His grace. For He Himself says, The kingdom of God is within you.

CYRIL; Or they who say this seem to wish to have the Savior of all again illuminating the world. But He has commanded us to desire in prayer that truly awful time, in order that men might know that it behoves them to live not in sloth and backwardness, lest that time bring upon them the fiery punishment, but rather honestly and according to His will, that that time may weave crowns for them. Hence it follows, according to Matthew, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

CHRYS. As if He says, Enable us, O Lord, to follow the heavenly life, that whatever You will, we may will in also.

GREG. NYSS.. For sin since He says that the life of man after the resurrection will be like to that of Angels, it follows, that our life in this world should be so ordered with respect to that which we hope for hereafter, that living in the flesh we may not live according to the flesh. But hereby the true Physician of the souls destroys the nature of the disease, that those who have been seized with sickness, whereby they have departed from the Divine will, may forthwith be released from the disease by being joined to the Divine will. For the health of the soul is the due fulfillment of the will of God.

AUG. It seems according to the Evangelist Matthew, that the Lord's prayer contains seven petitions, but Luke has comprehended it in five. Nor in truth does the one disagree from the other, but the latter has suggested by his brevity how those seven are to be understood. For the name of God is hallowed in the spirit, but the kingdom of God is about to come at the resurrection of the body. Luke then, showing that the third petition is in a manner a repetition of the two former, wished to make it so understood by omitting it. He then added three others. And first, of daily bread, saying, Give us day by day our daily bread.

PSEUDO-AUG. In the Greek the word is that is, something added to the substance. It is not that bread which goes into the body, but that bread of everlasting life, which supports the substance of our soul. But the Latins call this "daily" bread, which the Greeks call "coming to." If it is daily bread, why is it eaten a year old, as is the custom with the Greeks in the east? Take daily what profits you for the day; so live that you may daily be thought worthy to receive. The death of our Lord is signified thereby, and the remission of sins, and cost you not daily partake of that bread of life? He who has a wound seeks to be cured; the wound is that we are under sin, the cure is the heavenly and dreadful Sacrament. If you receive daily, daily does "Today" come to you. Christ is to you Today; Christ rises to thee daily.

TIT. BOST. Or the bread of souls is the Divine power, bringing the everlasting life which is to come, as the bread which comes out of the earth preserves the temporal life. But by saying "daily," He signifies the Divine bread which comes and is to come, which we seek to be given to us daily, requiring a certain earnest and taste of it, seeing that the Spirit which dwells in us has wrought a virtue surpassing all human virtues, as chastity, humility, and the rest.

CYRIL; Now perhaps some think it unfit for saints to seek from God bodily goods, and for this reason assign to these words a spiritual sense. But granting that the chief concern of the saints should be to obtain spiritual gifts, still it becomes them to see that they seek without blame, according to our Lord's command, their common bread. For from the fact that He bids them ask for bread, that is daily food, it seems that He implies that they should possess nothing, but rather practice an honorable poverty. For it is not the part of those who have bread to seek it, but rather of those who are oppressed with want.

BASIL; As if He said, For your daily bread, namely, that which serves for our daily wants, trust not to yourself, but fly to God for it, making known to Him the necessities of your nature.

CHRYS. We must then require of God the necessities of life; not varieties of meats, and spiced wines, and the other things which please the palate, while they load your stomach and disturb your mind, but bread which is able to support the bodily substance, that is to say, which is sufficient only for the day, that we may take no thought of the morrow. But we make only one petition about things of sense, that the present life may not trouble us.

GREG. NYSS.. Having taught us to take confidence through good works, He next teaches us to implore the remission of our offenses, for it follows, And forgive us our sins.

TIT. BOST. This also was necessarily added, for no one is found without sin, that we should not be hindered from the holy participation on account of man's guilt. For whereas we are bound to render to Christ all manner of holiness, who makes His Spirit to dwell in us, we are to be blamed if we keep not our temples clean for Him. But this defect is supplied by the goodness of God, remitting to human frailty the severe punishment of sin. And this act is done justly by the just God, when we forgive as it were our debtors, those, namely, who have injured us, and have not restored what was due. Hence it follows, For we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

CYRIL; For He wishes, if I may so speak, to make God the imitator of the patience which men practice, that the kindness which they have shown to their fellow servants, they should in like manner seek to receive in equal balance from God, who recompenses to each man justly, and knows how to have mercy upon all men.

CHRYS. Considering then these things, we ought to show mercy to our debtors. For they are to us if we are wise the cause of our greatest pardon; and though we perform only a few things, we shall find many. For we owe many and great debts to the Lord, of which if the least part should be exacted from us, we should soon perish.

PSEUDO-AUG. But what is the debt except sin? If you had not received, you would not owe money to another. And therefore sin is imputed to you. For you had money with which you were born rich, and made after the likeness and image of God, but you have lost what you then had. As when you put on pride you lose the gold of humility, you have receipted the devil's debt which was not necessary; the enemy held the bond, but the Lord crucified it, and canceled it with His blood. But the Lord is able, who has taken away our sins and forgiven our debts, to guard us against the snares of the devil, who is wont to produce sin in us. Hence it follows, And lead us not into temptation, such as we are not able to bear, but like the wrestler we wish only such temptation as the condition of man can sustain.

TIT. BOST. For it is impossible not to be tempted by the devil, but we make this prayer that we may not be abandoned to our temptations. Now that which happens by Divine permission, God is sometimes in Scripture said to do. And in this way by hindering not the increase of temptation which is above our strength, he leads us into temptation.

MAX. Or, the Lord commands us to pray, Lead us not into temptation, that is, let us not have experience of lustful and self-induced temptations. But James teaches those who contend only for the truth, not to be unnerved by involuntary and troublesome temptations, saying, lily brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.

BASIL; It does not however become us to seek by our prayers bodily afflictions. For Christ has universally commanded men every where to pray that they enter not into temptation. But when one has already entered, it is fitting to ask from the Lord the power of enduring, that we may have fulfilled in us those words, He that endures to the end shall be saved.

AUG. But what Matthew has placed at the end, But deliver us from evil, Luke has not mentioned, that we might understand it belongs to the former, which was spoken of temptation. He therefore says, But deliver us, not, "And deliver us," clearly proving this to be but one petition, "Do not this, but this." But let every one know that he is therein delivered from evil, when he is not brought into temptation.

PSEUDO-AUG. For each man seeks to be delivered from evil, that is, from his enemies and sin, but he who gives himself up to God, fears not the devil, for if God is for us, who he can be against us?

Today the Church remembers St. Daniel, priest, and companions, martyrs. While on a mission to Morocco these Franciscan Friars were beheaded in 1221 for their refusal to convert to Islam. (Franciscan Calendar)

Collect: Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

ACTIVITIES

LIBRARY

Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: St. Francis Borgia, Confessor

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Francis Borgia, a descendant of the notorious Alexander VI. He spent a part of his life in collecting titles and offices of importance. Certain reverses of fortune caused him to reflect on his life. He was already a Franciscan tertiary, but this was not enough for him; he became a Jesuit, at first secretly and then publicly in 1550 having made provision for his eight children. In 1565 he became General of the Society of Jesus. He was a man of wide experience, a clever diplomat and ranks as the second founder of his Order. He died in Rome on October 1, 1572.

St. Francis BorgiaFrancis Borgia, viscount of Catalonia and third general of the Jesuits, was born in 1510. On his father's side he was a great-grandchild of Pope Alexander VI; on his mother's side he was the great-grandchild of a son of Ferdinand the Catholic. His holy life atoned for the sins of his ancestors.

As viscount and duke at the palace of Emperor Charles V, Francis stood in high honor. The sudden death of the beautiful Empress Isabella (May 1, 1539) and the sight of her disfigured face as her body was taken to Granada made him resolve to leave the world and serve the King of kings alone.

After the death of his wife (1546), he entered the Society of Jesus with the holy resolve of leading a hidden life and of closing the door forever to all earthly honors. His example of humility exercised an influence upon Charles V when he considered renouncing the throne. Devoted to labor and severe mortification, Francis held himself in such little esteem that he called himself the "poor sinner." In 1565 he became General of the Order. He died at Rome.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against earthquakes; Portugal; Rota; Marianas.

Symbols: Skull crowned with an emperor's diadem.

Things to Do:

Although Francis lived a holy life, he was deeply moved and changed his life even more profoundly after seeing the corpse of the young and once beautiful Empress Isabella  it was totally disfigured and unrecognizable. This made him realize the transcience of life and the worthlessness of riches. We should follow his example and meditate on this.

Meditation: Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14

27th Week in Ordinary Time

I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. (Galatians 2:11)

Faced with a serious difference of opinion, the first Christians sought the Lord: should Gentiles be expected to undergo circumcision and adhere to the Law of Moses? The apostles resolved the crisis peaceably by hearing first-person accounts of how God was working in a new way (Acts 11).

However, in the incident Paul recounts in todays reading, nei­ther he nor Peter seem to have acted very charitably. The Spirit had clearly led Peter to preach to Gentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10). But later, in Antioch, Peter had given in to pres­sure from separatists who didnt think Jews should eat with Gentiles. Because Peter was the head apostle, his behavior scandalized many.

Paul reacted swiftly. Instead of taking Peter aside to reason with him privately, he rebuked him in public, shaming a fellow apostle and the leader of the Church. He seems to have forgotten Jesus teach­ing on correcting an erring brother (Matthew 18:15-17).

Despite the mistakes of both apos­tles, Pauls intervention succeeded because both Peter and Paul were steeped in the practice of forgive­ness. Paul probably apologized for his harsh words. For his part, Peter most likely accepted the correction and humbly acknowledged how his actions wounded Christian unity. We may not know all the details, but we can be sure that in the end, the two retained a deep respect for one another (2 Peter 3:15).

If you see another believer doing something that strikes you as wrong, take it to prayer first. You may dis­cover that this person is actually following the lead of the Holy Spirit. If you are still uneasy, express your concern privately to that person. Try to commend the good you see in him or her, and speak of the prob­lematic area without condemnation. Listen carefully to each other; then offer to pray together. If you dont reach a resolution right away, leave the matter there, and agree to con­tinue praying. As Peter and Paul show us, God reveals his truth in peace, not in tumult. He abides in unity, not division.

Father, I dont always get it right, but I want to live in harmony with my brothers and sisters. Help me to be open to giving and receiving correction with love.

It was 1962. I was in 5th grade in Saint Francis School when, under the tutelage of the formidable Sister M. Raymond, we began reciting every day in class the prayer composed by Blessed John XXIII "for the success of the Ecumenical Council." Folks were not altogether sure how to pronounce Ecumenical. That took some time. Though we were but ten and eleven years old, we had, I think, a very good idea of what we were saying. The prayer was printed on a glossy holy card bearing an image of the first Pentecost.

Around Mary and Guided by Peter

One mysterious phrase has come back to me again and again over the past fifty years: "Renew in our time Thy wondrous works, as in a new Pentecost, and grant that Holy Church, gathered together in unanimous, more intense prayer, around Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and guided by Peter." Something about saying these words fascinated me. Little did I know then that one day, fifty years later, I would live in a monastery under the patronage of Our Lady of the Cenacle.

As It Was

Fifth grade was a hard year for me. I couldn't grasp long division. Math homework nearly drove me to despair. But music class I loved, and the mysterious phrases of the Pope's Prayer for the Success of the Ecumenical Council. Here it is, as we said it back then:

Prayer for the Ecumenical Council

O Divine Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of Jesus, Who dost infallibly assist and guide the Church, pour forth the fullness of thy gifts upon the Ecumenical Council.

Kind teacher and Comforter, enlighten the minds of our bishops, who, responding to the invitation of the Sovereign Roman Pontiff, will gather in solemn assembly.

Grant that from this Council there may come forth abundant fruits: that the light and strength of the Gospel may ever more widely influence human society: that new vigour may infuse the Catholic religion and its missionary task; that the Church's teaching may be better known and Christian morality more widely practiced.

Sweet Guest of our souls, confirm our minds in truth, and dispose our hearts to obedience, so that the decisions of the council may find in us generous acceptance and prompt fulfillment.

We beseech Thee, too, on behalf of those sheep, who no longer belong to the one fold of Jesus Christ, that they also, glorifying as they do in the name of Christian, may finally regain unity under one Shepherd.

Renew in our time Thy wondrous works, as in a new Pentecost, and grant that Holy Church, gathered together in unanimous, more intense prayer, around Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and guided by Peter, may spread the kingdom of the Divine Saviour, which is the kingdom of truth, of justice, of love, and of peace. Amen.

Annus Fidei

Thursday, 11 October, the feast of the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, opens the Year of Faith. The Credo of the People of God, promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 30 June1968 should, to my mind, be distributed widely and meditated during the Year of Faith. It begins with article 8 of of the Apostolic Letter, Solemni Hac Liturgia.

PROFESSION OF FAITH

8. We believe in one only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, creator of things visible such as this world in which our transient life passes, of things invisible such as the pure spirits which are also called angels,(3) and creator in each man of his spiritual and immortal soul.

9. We believe that this only God is absolutely one in His infinitely holy essence as also in all His perfections, in His omnipotence, His infinite knowledge, His providence, His will and His love. He is He who is, as He revealed to Moses;(4) and He is love, as the apostle John teaches us:(5) so that these two names, being and love, express ineffably the same divine reality of Him who has wished to make Himself known to us, and who, "dwelling in light inaccessible,"(6) is in Himself above every name, above every thing and above every created intellect. God alone can give us right and full knowledge of this reality by revealing Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whose eternal life we are by grace called to share, here below in the obscurity of faith and after death in eternal light. The mutual bonds which eternally constitute the Three Persons, who are each one and the same divine being, are the blessed inmost life of God thrice holy, infinitely beyond all that we can conceive in human measure.(7) We give thanks, however, to the divine goodness that very many believers can testify with us before men to the unity of God, even though they know not the mystery of the most holy Trinity.

The Father

10. We believe then in the Father who eternally begets the Son; in the Son, the Word of God, who is eternally begotten; in the Holy Spirit, the uncreated Person who proceeds from the Father and the Son as their eternal love. Thus in the Three Divine Persons, coaeternae sibi et coaequales,(8) the life and beatitude of God perfectly one superabound and are consummated in the supreme excellence and glory proper to uncreated being, and always "there should be venerated unity in the Trinity and Trinity in the unity."(9)

The Son

11. We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. He is the Eternal Word, born of the Father before time began, and one in substance with the Father, homoousios to Patri,(10) and through Him all things were made. He was incarnate of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, and was made man: equal therefore to the Father according to His divinity, and inferior to the Father according to His humanity;(11) and Himself one, not by some impossible confusion of His natures, but by the unity of His person.(12)

12. He dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. He proclaimed and established the Kingdom of God and made us know in Himself the Father. He gave us His new commandment to love one another as He loved us. He taught us the way of the beatitudes of the Gospel: poverty in spirit, meekness, suffering borne with patience, thirst after justice, mercy, purity of heart, will for peace, persecution suffered for justice sake. Under Pontius Pilate He suffered--the Lamb of God bearing on Himself the sins of the world, and He died for us on the cross, saving us by His redeeming blood. He was buried, and, of His own power, rose on the third day, raising us by His resurrection to that sharing in the divine life which is the life of grace. He ascended to heaven, and He will come again, this time in glory, to judge the living and the dead: each according to his merits--those who have responded to the love and piety of God going to eternal life, those who have refused them to the end going to the fire that is not extinguished. And His Kingdom will have no end.

The Holy Spirit

13. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is Lord and Giver of life, who is adored and glorified together with the Father and the Son. He spoke to us by the prophets; He was sent by Christ after His resurrection and His ascension to the Father; He illuminates, vivifies, protects and guides the Church; He purifies the Church's members if they do not shun His grace. His action, which penetrates to the inmost of the soul, enables man to respond to the call of Jesus: Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect (Mt. 5:48).

14. We believe that Mary is the Mother, who remained ever a Virgin, of the Incarnate Word, our God and Savior Jesus Christ,(13) and that by reason of this singular election, she was, in consideration of the merits of her Son, redeemed in a more eminent manner,(14) preserved from all stain of original sin(15) and filled with the gift of grace more than all other creatures.(16)

15. Joined by a close and indissoluble bond to the Mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption,(17) the Blessed Virgin, the Immaculate, was at the end of her earthly life raised body and soul to heavenly glory(18) and likened to her risen Son in anticipation of the future lot of all the just; and we believe that the Blessed Mother of God, the New Eve, Mother of the Church,(19) continues in heaven her maternal role with regard to Christ's members, cooperating with the birth and growth of divine life in the souls of the redeemed.(20)

Original Offense

16. We believe that in Adam all have sinned, which means that the original offense committed by him caused human nature, common to all men, to fall to a state in which it bears the consequences of that offense, and which is not the state in which it was at first in our first parents--established as they were in holiness and justice, and in which man knew neither evil nor death. It is human nature so fallen, stripped of the grace that clothed it, injured in its own natural powers and subjected to the dominion of death, that is transmitted to all men, and it is in this sense that every man is born in sin. We therefore hold, with the Council of Trent, that original sin is transmitted with human nature, "not by imitation, but by propagation" and that it is thus "proper to everyone."(21)

Reborn of the Holy Spirit

17. We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, by the sacrifice of the cross redeemed us from original sin and all the personal sins committed by each one of us, so that, in accordance with the word of the apostle, "where sin abounded, grace did more abound."(22)

Baptism

18. We believe in one Baptism instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Baptism should be administered even to little children who have not yet been able to be guilty of any personal sin, in order that, though born deprived of supernatural grace, they may be reborn "of water and the Holy Spirit" to the divine life in Christ Jesus.(23)

The Church

19. We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, built by Jesus Christ on that rock which is Peter. She is the Mystical Body of Christ; at the same time a visible society instituted with hierarchical organs, and a spiritual community; the Church on earth, the pilgrim People of God here below, and the Church filled with heavenly blessings; the germ and the first fruits of the Kingdom of God, through which the work and the sufferings of Redemption are continued throughout human history, and which looks for its perfect accomplishment beyond time in glory.(24) In the course of time, the Lord Jesus forms His Church by means of the sacraments emanating from His plenitude.(25) By these she makes her members participants in the Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, in the grace of the Holy Spirit who gives her life and movement.(26) She is therefore holy, though she has sinners in her bosom, because she herself has no other life but that of grace: it is by living by her life that her members are sanctified; it is by removing themselves from her life that they fall into sins and disorders that prevent the radiation of her sanctity. This is why she suffers and does penance for these offenses, of which she has the power to heal her children through the blood of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Word

20. Heiress of the divine promises and daughter of Abraham according to the Spirit, through that Israel whose scriptures she lovingly guards, and whose patriarchs and prophets she venerates; founded upon the apostles and handing on from century to century their ever-living word and their powers as pastors in the successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with him; perpetually assisted by the Holy Spirit, she has the charge of guarding, teaching, explaining and spreading the Truth which God revealed in a then veiled manner by the prophets, and fully by the Lord Jesus. We believe all that is contained in the word of God written or handed down, and that the Church proposes for belief as divinely revealed, whether by a solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal magisterium.(27) We believe in the infallibility enjoyed by the successor of Peter when he teaches ex cathedra as pastor and teacher of all the faithful,(28) and which is assured also to the episcopal body when it exercises with him the supreme magisterium.(29)

21. We believe that the Church founded by Jesus Christ and for which He prayed is indefectibly one in faith, worship and the bond of hierarchical communion. In the bosom of this Church, the rich variety of liturgical rites and the legitimate diversity of theological and spiritual heritages and special disciplines, far from injuring her unity, make it more manifest.(30)

One Shepherd

22. Recognizing also the existence, outside the organism of the Church of Christ, of numerous elements of truth and sanctification which belong to her as her own and tend to Catholic unity,(31) and believing in the action of the Holy Spirit who stirs up in the heart of the disciples of Christ love of this unity,(32) we entertain the hope that the Christians who are not yet in the full communion of the one only Church will one day be reunited in one flock with one only shepherd.

23. We believe that the Church is necessary for salvation, because Christ, who is the sole mediator and way of salvation, renders Himself present for us in His body which is the Church.(33) But the divine design of salvation embraces all men; and those who without fault on their part do not know the Gospel of Christ and His Church, but seek God sincerely, and under the influence of grace endeavor to do His will as recognized through the promptings of their conscience, they, in a number known only to God, can obtain salvation.(34)

Sacrifice of Calvary

24. We believe that the Mass, celebrated by the priest representing the person of Christ by virtue of the power received through the Sacrament of Orders, and offered by him in the name of Christ and the members of His Mystical Body, is the sacrifice of Calvary rendered sacramentally present on our altars. We believe that as the bread and wine consecrated by the Lord at the Last Supper were changed into His body and His blood which were to be offered for us on the cross, likewise the bread and wine consecrated by the priest are changed into the body and blood of Christ enthroned gloriously in heaven, and we believe that the mysterious presence of the Lord, under what continues to appear to our senses as before, is a true, real and substantial presence.(35)

Transubstantiation

25. Christ cannot be thus present in this sacrament except by the change into His body of the reality itself of the bread and the change into His blood of the reality itself of the wine, leaving unchanged only the properties of the bread and wine which our senses perceive. This mysterious change is very appropriately called by the Church transubstantiation. Every theological explanation which seeks some understanding of this mystery must, in order to be in accord with Catholic faith, maintain that in the reality itself, independently of our mind, the bread and wine have ceased to exist after the Consecration, so that it is the adorable body and blood of the Lord Jesus that from then on are really before us under the sacramental species of bread and wine,(36) as the Lord willed it, in order to give Himself to us as food and to associate us with the unity of His Mystical Body.(37)

26. The unique and indivisible existence of the Lord glorious in heaven is not multiplied, but is rendered present by the sacrament in the many places on earth where Mass is celebrated. And this existence remains present, after the sacrifice, in the Blessed Sacrament which is, in the tabernacle, the living heart of each of our churches. And it is our very sweet duty to honor and adore in the blessed Host which our eyes see, the Incarnate Word whom they cannot see, and who, without leaving heaven, is made present before us.

Temporal Concern

27. We confess that the Kingdom of God begun here below in the Church of Christ is not of this world whose form is passing, and that its proper growth cannot be confounded with the progress of civilization, of science or of human technology, but that it consists in an ever more profound knowledge of the unfathomable riches of Christ, an ever stronger hope in eternal blessings, an ever more ardent response to the love of God, and an ever more generous bestowal of grace and holiness among men. But it is this same love which induces the Church to concern herself constantly about the true temporal welfare of men. Without ceasing to recall to her children that they have not here a lasting dwelling, she also urges them to contribute, each according to his vocation and his means, to the welfare of their earthly city, to promote justice, peace and brotherhood among men, to give their aid freely to their brothers, especially to the poorest and most unfortunate. The deep solicitude of the Church, the Spouse of Christ, for the needs of men, for their joys and hopes, their griefs and efforts, is therefore nothing other than her great desire to be present to them, in order to illuminate them with the light of Christ and to gather them all in Him, their only Savior. This solicitude can never mean that the Church conform herself to the things of this world, or that she lessen the ardor of her expectation of her Lord and of the eternal Kingdom.

28. We believe in the life eternal. We believe that the souls of all those who die in the grace of Christ whether they must still be purified in purgatory, or whether from the moment they leave their bodies Jesus takes them to paradise as He did for the Good Thief are the People of God in the eternity beyond death, which will be finally conquered on the day of the Resurrection when these souls will be reunited with their bodies.

Prospect of Resurrection

29. We believe that the multitude of those gathered around Jesus and Mary in paradise forms the Church of Heaven where in eternal beatitude they see God as He is,(38) and where they also, in different degrees, are associated with the holy angels in the divine rule exercised by Christ in glory, interceding for us and helping our weakness by their brotherly care.(39)

30. We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are attaining their purification, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion the merciful love of God and His saints is ever listening to our prayers, as Jesus told us: Ask and you will receive.(40) Thus it is with faith and in hope that we look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."

Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, you are the master of the universe, and yet you wish to listen to me and guide me. You know all things past, present and future, and yet you respect my freedom to choose you. Holy Trinity, you are completely happy and fulfilled on your own, and yet you have generously brought us into existence. You are our fulfillment. Thank you for the gift of yourself. I offer the littleness of myself in return, knowing you are pleased with what I have to give.

Petition:Lord, teach me through the Our Father to pray more deeply.

1. Traditional Prayers Teach Us the Correct Attitudes to Have towards God: What better prayer could we devise than a prayer using the very words Jesus taught us here? Yet the Our Father is a traditional prayer, a prayer with set words, prone to be recited merely by rote. But in fact, traditional prayers are an invitation to meditate, set up in a way that appeals to beginners. In the Our Father, as in all traditional prayers, we repeat phrases that express the essence of a correct relationship with God. Whether we already hold these attitudes in our heart or not, the beauty of traditional prayers is not what we say, but how we say it. If we pray these words, trying to make them our own, conforming our heart to the attitudes they express, then little by little we will form a Christian heart, a heart that loves the way it should.

2. Traditional Prayers Can Change My Heart and Draw It to God: When I first turned to the Lord, I had a lot to work on. Most people do. I didnt love the way I should have. I was flawed in many other ways. One of the things that helped me was the Our Father as well as other traditional prayers. When we first come to the Lord, we dont know how Christians should think, what attitudes a Christian should hold. When we pray the Our Father from the heart, it helps our heart to change, to become more Christ-like. It takes only a moment to pray an Our Father, but from time to time, we should meditate on the words. Say each phrase and repeat it, not moving on to the next phrase until we feel that we have really gotten to the bottom of what it is saying.

3 Traditional Prayers Fight Off the Attitudes of the World: Our conversion to Christ is a change of attitudes from those of the world to those of a Christian. Every day, the world proposes its attitudes as something good that should be lived. But often what the world proposes as good is actually harmful to us. How do we resist? By constantly repeating to myself and meditating on Christian attitudes. This is what can happen in using traditional prayers. It is a way of helping our heart understand and embrace the Christianity we profess. The Christian who disdains traditional prayers is rejecting a powerful tool of conversion.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, too often I rattle off my prayers without thinking about the attitudes they contain. I want to get the full benefit of all the prayers I say every day. I want to pray these prayers more often, especially the Our Father, since it is the prayer that you, yourself, taught me.

Resolution:Today I will pray my traditional prayers with special attention and with the conviction that they will instruct me and change me in a way that leads me closer to God.

Teach Us to Pray

In yesterdays Gospel, we saw Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to his word. Anyone who listens to the Word of God has to give a response in prayer. In this way, todays Gospel continues with the Gospel of yesterday the narrating of the account in which Jesus, because of his way of prayer, communicates to the disciples the desire to pray, to learn to pray from him.

Luke 11, 1:Jesus, example of prayer. One day, Jesus was in a certain place praying and when he had finished one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. This petition of the disciples is strange, because at that time people learnt to pray since they were small. Everyone prayed three times a day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening. They prayed very much using the Psalms. They had their devotional practices, they had the Psalms, they had weekly meetings in the Synagogue and daily encounters at home. But it seemed that this was not enough. The disciple wanted more: Teach us to pray! In the attitude of Jesus he discovers that he could still advance more, and that for this he needed some initiation. The desire to pray was in all of them, but the way of praying needs a help. The way of praying attains maturity throughout life and changes through the centuries. Jesus was a good teacher: He taught how to pray with the words and with the witness.

Luke 11, 2-4: The prayer of the Our Father. Jesus answers: When you pray this is what you have to say: Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt with us. And do not put us to the test.In the Gospel of Matthew, in quite a didactic way, Jesus summarizes all his teaching in seven petitions addressed to the Father. Here in Lukes Gospel the petitions are five. In these five requests, Jesus repeats the great promises of the Old Testament and asks that the Father help us to fulfill them. The first three (or two) speak to us about our relationship with God. The other four (or three) speak to us about the relationship among us.

Introduction: Our Father who are in heaven1st request: Hallowed be your Name2nd request: Your Kingdom come

3rd request: Your will be done

4th request: Our daily bread

5th request: Forgive our offences

6th request: Lead us not into temptation

7th request: Deliver us from evil

Father (Our): The title expresses the new relationship with God (Father). It is the basis of fraternity.

a) To sanctify the Name: the Name of Yahweh I am with you! God with us. God made himself known with this NAME (Ex 3, 11-15). The Name of God is sanctified when it is used with faith and not with magic; when it is used according to its true objective, that is, not for oppression, but for the liberation of the people and for the construction of the Kingdom.b) Your Kingdom come: The only Lord and King of human life is God (Is 45, 21; 46, 9). The arrival of the Kingdom is the realization of all the hopes and promises. It is the fullness of life, the overcoming of frustration suffered with the kings and human governments. This Kingdom will come when the will of God will be completely fulfilled.c) The daily bread: In Exodus, the people every day received the manna in the desert (Ex 16, 35). Divine Providence passed for the fraternal organization, for sharing. Jesus invites us to fulfil a new Exodus, a new way of sharing in a fraternal spirit which will guarantee the bread for all (Mt 6, 34-44; Jn 6, 48-51).d) Forgiveness of debts: Every 50 years, the Jubilee Year obliged everybody to forgive the debts. It was a new beginning (Lev 25, 8-55). Jesus announces a new Jubilee Year, a year of grace from the Lord (Lk 4, 19). The Gospel wants to begin everything new! Today, the external debt is not forgiven! Luke changes debts for sins.e) Not to fall into temptation: In Exodus the people were tempted and fell (Deut 9, 6-12). They complained and wanted to go back. (Ex 16, 3; 17, 3). In the new Exodus, the temptation was overcome thanks to the force that people received from God (1Co 10, 12-13).

The witness of the prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke: - At twelve years old, he goes to the Temple, in the House of the Father (Lk 2, 46-50).- When he was baptized and he assumes his mission, he prays (Lk 3, 21).- When he begins his mission, he spends forty days in the desert (Lk 4, 1-2).- At the hour of temptation, he faces the Devil with texts from Scripture (Lk 4, 3-12).- Jesus usually participated in the celebrations in the Synagogues, on Saturday (Lk 4, 16)- He looks for the solitude of the desert to pray (Lk 5, 16; 9, 18).- On the day before he chose the twelve Apostles, he spent the night in prayer (Lk 6, 12).- He prays before meals (Lk 9, 16; 24, 30).- He prays before presenting the reality and before speaking about his Passion (Lk 9, 18).- In time of crisis, he goes up to the mountain to pray, is transfigured while he prays (Lk 9, 28).- When the Gospel is revealed to the little ones, he says: Father I thank you! (Lk 10, 21)- By praying he awakens in the Apostles the desire to pray (Lk 11, 1).- He prays for Peter so that his faith will not fail (Lk 22, 32).- He celebrates the Paschal Supper with his disciples (Lk 22, 7-14).- In the Garden of Olives, he prays while his sweat fell like drops of blood (Lk 22, 41-42).- In his anguish he asks his friends to pray with him (Lk 22, 40.46).- When he was nailed to the cross, he asks for pardon for the bandits (Lk 23, 34).- At the hour of his death, he says: Into your hands I commit my spirit! (Lk 23, 46; Ps 31, 6)- Jesus dies sending out the cry of the poor (Lk 23, 46).

Personal questions

Do I pray? How do I pray? What does prayer mean for me?

Our Father: I go over the five petitions and examine how I live them in my life

One Bread, One Body

"THE CHURCH OF THE POOR"

"Be mindful of the poor." Galatians 2:10

When Paul laid out his ministry for the scrutiny of the leaders of the Jerusalem church, the only stipulation they made was that he "should be mindful of the poor" (Gal 2:10). This was the one thing that Paul "was making every effort to do" (Gal 2:10). We also should be making every effort to be mindful of the poor when we buy anything, talk, pray, work, plan church activities, parent our children, watch TV, drive our cars, have parties, go to school, etc.

In our financially segregated culture, it is easy to forget about the poor who live in areas we do not have to travel through. Not many people who can afford comfortable housing live in areas where beggars like Lazarus are readily visible (see Lk 16:20ff). God our Father invites us to "bring in the poor" to His heavenly feast (Lk 14:21). However, many are tempted to be more mindful of their possessions and comfort than of sharing God's kingdom with the poor (Lk 14:18-21). To not be mindful of the poor is to forget about Jesus Himself (Mt 25:41-45).

Pope John Paul II called every person and group in the Catholic Church "to carry out a sincere review of their lives regarding their solidarity with the poor" (Mission of the Redeemer, 60). "We need to turn to a more austere way of life" (Mission of the Redeemer, 59). "The Church all over the world wishes to be the Church of the poor...she wishes to draw out all the truth contained in the Beatitudes of Christ, and especially in the first one: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' " (Mission of the Redeemer, 60).

Prayer: Father, I will not only help the poor but be willing to be poor.

Promise: "Forgive us our sins for we too forgive all who do us wrong; and subject us not to the trial." Lk 11:4

Praise: Irene, a single mother, has faced her many financial and parental issues with an unwavering trust in the providence and mercy of God.

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